Arsenal set to smash transfer record yet again with shock deal worth £104m

Thomas Lemar can leave Monaco this summer according to their president, Vadim Vasilyev.

Arsenal famously had a deadline day mega offer turned down last summer, setting off a chain of events that ended with the Gunners signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alexis Sanchez moving to the wrong side of Manchester.

“A few hours after the match against Paris is not the time to talk about the transfer window,” he said. “But good luck to those who want him,” Vasilyev told Telefoot, sounding more like he was setting up some sort of Hunger Games for clubs who want Lemar rather than an actual auction.

Not that matters, Arsenal are unlikely to be involved in either.

After spending over £100m for two forwards in the last 12 months, Arsene Wenger has made it clear he won’t be looking for any attackers in the next window.

That being said, Arsenal are in desperate need of proper wide men, and in Lemar they would certainly get that.

It would, however, cost them at least twice his market value and at £104m, it might just seem too rich for Arsenal.

Although they bid around £90m for him last summer, Arsenal were expecting cash from Alexis Sanchez’s City transfer to cover a large chunk of Lemar’s fee while they also suffered sudden rush of blood to the head given the late timing of it all.

Liverpool, however, have the cash and the nerve to spend it.

They will also have guaranteed Champions League football while Arsenal wait on their Europa League lottery to see if they will be back at the grown up European table next season.